The Bat
Clarence John Laughlin
American, 1905–1985

Details
Title
The Bat
Artist/Maker
Clarence John Laughlin (American, 1905–1985)
Date
1940
Medium
Gelatin silver print
Dimensions
19 5/8 × 15 3/8 inches
Credit
Gift of Lucinda W. Bunnen for the Bunnen Collection
Accession #
1981.93
On View
Currently not on view
The Bat was modeled by Laughlin’s wife, Elizabeth Heintzen, posing in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans. Heintzen stands as the mysterious central figure within the catacombs, draped all in black. Her head is hidden as she clings to the cracks in the walls at her sides. Laughlin described the symbols behind this piece: “In the abbey of make-believe, the image of hypocrisy appropriately appears concealing its head as with those who hypocritically hide their heads from the facts they don’t want to acknowledge.”
Image Copyright
© (c) The Historic New Orleans Collection
More from this Artist
Browse Related Artwork

Jo Davidson

Charles Moore

Leah Jaynes Karp

Larry Rivers

Robert Henri

Benny Andrews

Ker-Xavier Roussel

Elijah Pierce

Louis Monza

Frank Weston Benson

James Routh

Alexander Gardner